What is the Difference Between Agoraphobia and Social Anxiety Disorder

The key difference between agoraphobia and social anxiety disorder is that agoraphobia is a condition where a person avoids situations where they may experience anxiety, panic, helplessness, or embarrassment, while social anxiety disorder is a condition where a person avoids social situations where they may be judged negatively by others.

Every day, in every part of the world, millions of people suffer from mental health issues. In these conditions, individuals often experience a fear of going outside, including a reluctance to interact with others. Mental health disorders significantly impact the mood, thinking, and behavior of those affected. Agoraphobia and social anxiety are two closely related mental conditions, yet they exhibit important differences in their etiology.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Agoraphobia 
3. What is Social Anxiety Disorder
4. Similarities – Agoraphobia and Social Anxiety Disorder
5. Agoraphobia vs. Social Anxiety Disorder in Tabular Form
6. FAQ – Agoraphobia and Social Anxiety Disorder
7. Summary – Agoraphobia vs. Social Anxiety Disorder

What is Agoraphobia?

Agoraphobia is a mental health condition that causes an intense fear of certain situations and becoming overwhelmed. The symptoms of this condition may include chest pain, rapid heart rate, fear or shaky feeling, trouble breathing, lightheadedness, sudden chills, excessive sweating, and upset stomach. The exact cause of this disorder is not known but it is often associated with existing panic disorders. Moreover, the risk factors for developing agoraphobia include having panic attacks, responding to panic attacks with fear, having other phobias, experiencing stressful events, being sensitive to anxiety, and having relatives with agoraphobia.

Agoraphobia can be diagnosed through medical history, physical symptoms evaluation, and psychological evaluation. Furthermore, treatment options for agoraphobia may include psychotherapy, medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and lifestyle changes.

What is Social Anxiety Disorder?

Social anxiety disorder is a condition where everyday social interactions cause significant anxiety, self-consciousness, and embarrassment because people fear being judged negatively by others. This condition is also known as social phobia. The symptoms of this condition may include blushing, nausea, sweating, trembling or shaking, a rigid body stance, difficulty speaking, a sensation of the mind going blank, dizziness, a rapid heart rate, intense fear, avoidance of social situations, self-consciousness about potentially embarrassing actions, a perceived need to consume alcohol, and absenteeism from school or work. The exact cause of social anxiety disorder is unknown however, a combination of factors such as physical, biological, and genetic factors can cause it. Moreover, the risk factors for social anxiety disorder are family history, negative experiences, temperament, new social or work demands, and having an appearance that draws attention.

Social anxiety disorder can be diagnosed by using criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5), family history, physical symptoms evaluation, and evaluation of other health conditions. Furthermore, treatment options for social anxiety disorder may include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), group therapy or a support group, exposure therapy, and medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like paroxetine, selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) like venlafaxine and propanol.

What are the Similarities Between Agoraphobia and Social Anxiety Disorder?

• Agoraphobia and social anxiety are two closely related mental conditions.
• The exact causes of both these conditions are not known.
• Both these conditions can be diagnosed through physical examination and psychological evaluation.
• They can be treated through therapies and specific medications.

What is the Difference Between Agoraphobia and Social Anxiety Disorder?

Agoraphobia is a condition where a person avoids situations out of worry that they may experience anxiety or panic, while social anxiety disorder is a condition where a person avoids social situations out of fear that they may be judged negatively by others. Thus, this is the key difference between agoraphobia and social anxiety disorder. Furthermore, the risk factors for developing agoraphobia are having panic attacks, responding to panic attacks with fear, having other phobias, experiencing stressful events, being sensitive to anxiety, and having relatives with agoraphobia. On the other hand, the risk factors for social anxiety disorder are family history, negative experiences, temperament, new social or work demands, and having an appearance that draws attention.

The infographic below presents the differences between agoraphobia and social anxiety disorder in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

FAQ: Agoraphobia and Social Anxiety Disorder

What are the 2 types of agoraphobia?

2 types of agoraphobia are panic disorder with agoraphobia and agoraphobia without a history of panic disorder.

What is the best treatment for agoraphobia?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are one of the best treatments for agoraphobia.

Does agoraphobia go away?

If left untreated, it may persist throughout the entire life of some people. But in some people, it can disappear with time.

Summary – Agoraphobia vs. Social Anxiety Disorder

Agoraphobia and social anxiety disorder are closely connected to mental health conditions.  Agoraphobia causes an intense fear of certain situations and becoming overwhelmed while social anxiety disorder is a condition where everyday social interactions cause significant anxiety, self-consciousness, and embarrassment because people fear being judged negatively by others. So, this summarizes the difference between agoraphobia and social anxiety disorder.

Reference:

1. “Agoraphobia: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments.” WebMD.
2. “Social Anxiety Disorder: Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis.” Healthline, Healthline Media.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Social Anxiety Disorder” By Alleblan – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Man Looking Through Window” (CC0) via Pexels